When my daughter, Rebecca, was little she never liked going shopping because of the feeling it gave her afterwards. The first time it happened I did not understand it. I remember what she said, however, when we got home. "Mom, I need to go to my room...my thoughts are all out of order." THAT IS WHAT IMMERSION IN THE WORLD DOES TO US. It causes us to forget what is important. The stores made Rebecca feel discontented and dissatisfied. She was bombarded with stuff she had no idea she even wanted until she saw them. This is why, like Rebecca, we need to order our thoughts after spending time in it. If we don't, seeds of discontentment begin to take root and grow in our hearts. They begin to cause us to want what we don't have and not be thankful for those things we do have. Our heart becomes filled with the wrong things...it becomes filled with our own desires and not God's. We begin to complain against Him, and contend with Him.
When we spend time with God and His word and cry out to Him for grace, He is faithful to put our thoughts and desires in their proper order and place. His word reminds us to be content with such things as we have...His word reminds us to seek Him first and that when we do that all other things will be added. We once again are content because He is our Shepherd and we have everything we need. We want His will and not our own and once again desire Him above all else.
I am so glad that Rebecca was able to explain to me what was going on in her mind. It was such a perfect picture of how the world draws us. After she did I was able to talk to each of my daughters when they had these kind of feelings and point them in the right direction. They became wise to the feeling and understood it for what it was and who and where it was from. Be aware of how the world influences your thinking. It is subtle. Examine what you are watching, reading or who you are spending time with and how they might be influencing you and causing you to experience discontentment.
Our complaining and discontented spirits only hurt us. Watch children at play...the lesson is seen in its simplicity so clearly. A child plays contentedly alongside another until a new toy is introduced. The child who is not on the receiving end is immediately unhappy. He forgets all about what was making him happy just seconds ago and now only wants what is for the moment, out of reach. His discontented spirit only hurts him...it makes him unhappy in the moment. It mars ALL! Look at your own heart..examine your own desires and see where your own thoughts and affections need reordering. Go to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you ask or think and ask Him to align your will with His. Ask Him to give you His desires. He who is faithful will do it. Your countenance will change...your mind will be stayed in the right place....on Him and what He wants. I will end with some of my favorite verses from Psalm 37.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
